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FROM YOUR R.E.
We have three exciting announcements to make and I think you will be pleased with the effort that has been made on behalf of the members of Cal Club.
FIRST
we have completed initial negotiations with Speed Ventures. Speed
Ventures and the California Sports Car Club have developed a
strategic alliance. Speed Ventures is a very successful track
day organization which is expanding into “time attack” programs in
the very near term. Speed Ventures have been operating for a
couple of years and last year did 37 weekend events. They are
usually sold out, and on a very cold and very rainy Saturday at the
Streets of Willow, I was there and observed they had 50 to 60 cars
out running. A very strong showing. The owner of Speed
Ventures, Aaron Bitterman, has an excellent reputation as both as a
motorsports enthusiast and a businessman. Several of our members
have taken advantage of the excellent service and “bang for the
buck” that Speed Ventures provides Prior to this date, when one
of the Speed Ventures customers expressed a desire to go racing,
Speed Ventures would refer to several competing organizations such
as NASA, VARA, SCCA, Cal Club, POC, BMW Club and so on. Now as a
result of the alliance, Speed Ventures will refer EXCLUSIVELY to Cal
Club and thus to the SCCA. Speed Ventures will make a point of
that Cal Club is where “real” racing is. Part of this alliance is
that we will link our schedules or websites in some reasonable
fashion so it’s easy for Cal Club members and Speed Ventures
customers to find one another.
I want to thank Club Member and T 1 – Racer Oli Thordarson for it was he that made the initial suggestion that lead directly to this alliance and he has our thanks for bringing this forward.
Second, we have completed an agreement with Danny McKeever and FASTLANE driving school. FASTLANE will become the official driving school of Cal Club. We will continue to provide a super school once a year or more if needed, but Danny will become a fully accredited SCCA licensing school as well. Thus any person who wishes to get an SCCA regional novice license can either attend our Super School, the super school in Az (Sept of each year) or they can attend the FASTLANE school and get their license there. This will take a few weeks to get approved through Topeka but it will be done. Additionally, FASTLANE will EXCLUSIVELY recommend any of their students who wish to go road racing to Cal Club. As FASTLANE trains several hundreds of students a year, it is a significant number of referrals. FASTLANE will be invited to join us at the LBGP and Auto Show. We will exchange information and FASTLANE will provide (with Cal Club help) a special program just for our workers and other incentives and support for the Club. In return, FASTLANE will be the EXCLUSIVE recommendation that Cal Club will make to any school other than our own Super School. As FASTLANE instructors include Jim Bishop our own Chief Driving Instructor and as Danny is the single best instructor in his subject that I have ever seen, I can say that the quality of the FASTLANE driving instruction will be equal to anything in the whole of the SCCA experience including our own Super School. What is equally important to the quality is the frequency, as the FASTLANE school is available 12 months a year. This idea has come out of the initial idea of 2007 RE John Reitman and he has our thanks.
Thirdly there is a new program for REGIONAL races beginning with our Willow Race in February. Initial funding has been granted (and more is needed) to provide special prizes at our FEATURE RACE each regional weekend. The Feature Race will be that race immediately following lunch. As our race groups rotate each race weekend, each of the 6 groups will within a short period be the FEATURE RACE. After the race on Saturday, while in impound and at some time before being released each CAL CLUB MEMBER WHO RAN THE RACE as well as EACH ASSOCIATE MEMBER WHO RAN THE RACE will be eligible for a drawing. The drawing for Saturday will be a $500.00 gift certificate to 7’s Only at BRP to be used to purchase a head and neck restraint system. Tom at 7’s Only has become quite knowledgeable in these systems and he sells each of the systems on the market including the Hans. Tom will discuss the technical aspects, the ratings and so on of each system and then the gift certificate holder can purchase that system that makes the most sense to them. The winner can have confident that there is no “sales work” being done because of the system in place and that 7’s Only sells all the head and neck restraint systems on the market. In the event the winner has a head and neck restraint system already, the gift certificate can be given to any other Cal Club Member or Associate Member and that person can use it for a head and neck restraint system. The gift certificate is not valid for any other product or service and is only valid for Cal Club members and Associate Members and is valid only at 7’s Only.
On Sunday’s race, a total of 3 or 4 drawings will be held under the above described circumstances. Each gift certificate given on Sunday shall be for $100.00 and can be used on the winners next event entry or test days at BRP. Only Cal Club Members and Associate Members can participate in the drawing and in the use of the gift certificates. All gift certificates must be claimed (used) within the 2008 calendar (and fiscal) year. This is a temporary program only and there should be no expectation that it will continue beyond Aug of this year without additional sponsorship money. Please contact the RE or any Assistant RE or Board Member, if you know of a suitable potential sponsor or if you desire additional information about potential sponsorships. The more sponsors that join us in the Feature Race Sponsorship Program the greater the positive impact on safety and on our members.
For the Board of Governors
Steve Staveley RE FF 59 AS 59
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